Well there is nothing like finding out that your grandmother—one of the
dearest people in your life—has an extensive form of cancer to snap
you out of any bullshit sadness you may feel about where you think you
are in your life. It is also a big reality check. We discovered that my
grandmother has pancreatic cancer two days before Christmas, and it is
far enough along to not be able to do anything about it. What a tough
couple of days, but somehow spending Christmas day with my parents and
grandparents in the hospital made perfect sense. There is a depth to
what is happening with my grandmother and grandfather, that is so
inspiring and so beautiful, it is hard to put it into words. I am
thankful to have witnessed it all of these years. I am thankful to have
some of those genetics in me. I am so grateful for all of the time I
have already had with "Little Hun", and any time I will have. I am in awe
of the strength she has always possessed, even now when faced with this.

The holidays do have a way of bringing you back to your roots. It is
hard to be in a room full of your family and not be reminded of who you
are, where you have come from, and where you are going. I needed that
jolt back to myself, just in time for the start of a new year. It is
also difficult to be faced with something as overwhelming and large as
the illness of a loved one, and not use any time together to help and
love each other.